1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to an antenna system and method for optimizing RF signal reception.
2. Description of the Related Art
A receiver performs most effectively when the RF signal it receives is optimized due to a high signal strength and low signal-to-noise ratio. When both the transmitting and receiving antennas are fixed, achieving an optimized RF signal may be accomplished by changing the directionality of one or both of the antennas. However, when either the transmitting or receiving antenna is in motion, such as a receiving antenna disposed on a vehicle or a transmitting antenna on a non-geosynchronous satellite, obtaining the optimized RF signal is more challenging.
One technique for obtaining an optimized RF signal involves combining by shifting the phase and/or adjusting the amplitude of multiple RF signals and supplying the resulting RF signal to the receiver, as this will change the electrical characteristics of the RF signal. However, the amount of phase shift and/or amplitude adjustment is variable based on any number of factors, including the distance between the transmitting and receiving antennas, the inclination angle of the antennas with respect to one another, the size of the antenna, and the type of antenna. To further complicate the challenge, multiple receiving antennas may also be utilized. Furthermore, switching noise and low signal strength at the receiver may result during the aforementioned process of obtaining the optimized RF signal.
The subject invention is directed to addressing the problems and challenges associated with the related art.